Spain received almost 46.6 million foreign visitors in the first six months of the year, 4.6% more than during the same period in the previous year, according to data published on Monday by Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE).
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Total spending by international tourists reached €63.8 billion in the first half of the year, representing a 7% increase compared with the same period a year earlier.
In June alone, 9.7 million international tourists arrived in Spain, spending €13.6 billion, up 4% year-on-year.
During the first six months of 2026, the United Kingdom led cumulative tourist spending, accounting for 17% of the total, ahead of Germany (11.7%) and France (7.4%). By autonomous community, the Canary Islands accounted for 18.6% of total spending, followed by Catalonia (18.5%) and the Community of Madrid (15.7%).
In terms of visitor numbers, the leading source markets in the first half of the year were the United Kingdom, with more than 9.9 million visitors and growth of 4.3%; Germany, with almost 5.7 million visitors despite a 1.1% decline; and France, with nearly 5.6 million visitors, up 1%.
The regions that welcomed the most tourists during the first half of the year were Catalonia (9.6 million, up 3.5% compared with the same period in 2025), the Canary Islands (7.8 million, down 0.6%) and Andalusia (7.3 million, up 7.9%).
Regarding spending between January and June, the Canary Islands (18.6% of the total), Catalonia (18.5%) and the Community of Madrid (15.7%) recorded the highest cumulative expenditure.
Looking at June alone, average tourist spending reached €1,393 per person, an annual increase of 1.1%, while average daily spending rose by 0.7% to €211.
The leading source markets by spending in June were the United Kingdom (20.6% of the total), Germany (11.1%) and France (6.5%). Spending by UK residents increased by 7.1% year-on-year, German spending remained stable, while French spending fell by 6.3%.
In terms of arrivals, the United Kingdom remained the main country of residence, with almost 2.3 million tourists, up 6.8% compared with June 2025. Germany accounted for 1.2 million visitors (down 5.9%), while nearly one million arrived from France (down 1.7%).
By region, the Balearic Islands were the most popular destination in June, attracting 23.3% of all international visitors, followed by Catalonia (20.8%) and Andalusia (15.7%). Visitor numbers to the Balearic Islands increased by 0.6% compared with June 2025, while Catalonia recorded growth of 1.4% and Andalusia 7.4%.
In terms of spending, the Balearic Islands were also the leading destination region, accounting for 21.8% of the total in June, ahead of Catalonia (20.1%) and Andalusia (14.6%). Tourist spending rose by 4.2% year-on-year in the Balearic Islands, 5.7% in Catalonia and 3.5% in Andalusia.
Accommodation trends and travel patterns
On the other hand, the number of tourists using market accommodation as their main form of lodging fell by 0.6% year-on-year. Within this category, hotel accommodation declined by 1.7%, while rental accommodation increased by 10.1%. Non-market accommodation rose by 26.8%.
In addition, the most common length of stay was between four and seven nights, with almost 4.9 million tourists falling into this category, representing a 1.9% year-on-year increase. The number of day-trippers rose by 11.3%, while visitors staying for more than 15 nights declined by 6.9%.
Nearly 7.1 million tourists travelled independently in June, an increase of 2.7%. Meanwhile, around 2.7 million arrived on package holidays, up 3.3%.
In terms of spending, 65.2% of the total recorded in June came from tourists staying in hotels, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.1%. Spending linked to non-market accommodation grew by 16.6%.
Meanwhile, spending by tourists travelling independently increased by 2.6% year-on-year, while expenditure by those booking package holidays rose by 8.2%.
Regarding the purpose of travel, tourists visiting Spain for leisure accounted for 85.5% of total expenditure, with spending 5.1% higher than in June 2025.
